​1. Make a plan. If you don’t already have exercise within your routine, you can’t expect to be motivated to workout unless you have a time allotted to it. On the nights I go to bed without planning what time I’m working out the next day, 8pm the next day rolls around and I think of every excuse in the book as to why it’s too late or why I may as well start the next day. MAKE A PLAN the night before, or even better, on Sunday schedule your week, workout included.

2. Mentally prepare yourself. I set 6am as my workout time and I get it done because I’m mentally prepared for it when I go to bed. There’s no if’s and’s or but’s about it. It’s not like a “oh Ill set my alarm for 6 and see how I feel” kind of thing! NO if you don’t mentally prepare yourself the night before you’re not getting out of bed for it.

3. Building up a little bit of guilt for missing a workout IS NOT a bad thing. That guilt is what’s going to get you out of bed in the morning and soon enough, once you start to see progress its going to become an obsession..

4. Which brings me to number 4, make it a healthy obsession! My day is not complete without my workouts. I am OBSESSED with it in the way that my rest days are the days I feel off! Being obsessed means: a state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal. It doesn’t mean over the top burning too many calories or not eating enough. HEALTHY obsession, I’m going to create my own definition here: a state in which a person becomes so fixated on benefiting their wellbeing that they are constantly thinking about or working toward improving it! Wooohooo that’s good stuff!

5. Track your progress! You won’t get anywhere unless you know where you’re going and what you’re leaving behind. Take before and after pictures frequently, take measurements weekly, and check your weight no more than once a week! If I feel like I’m looking good or making progress I take a picture, two weeks later I look at that picture and compare. 9 times out of 10 I look better after two weeks and THAT is what keeps me going!

6. Build up to something. I’m looking forward to that moment I’m sitting by the pool this summer in my bikini with no bulging but my abs! The best motivation is something your working toward. Whether that’s a beach vacation or the pair of Nikes you’re going to buy yourself when you hit that goal weight, it’s that light at the end of the tunnel, the reward, the voice in your head when you’re pushing through your workouts or that thought that comes to mind on those day’s you’re deciding “Gym, or no gym?” pfft, yah right, no gym?! What does that even mean?

7. Cheat! You will never get through life without indulging on that warm, melted chocolate brownie with ice cream on top.. and why would you want to! Set one day a month where you allow yourself those indulgences. My secret is dark chocolate Hershey’s squares on those nights I’m really craving something sweet.

8. Make it a lifestyle not a temporary change. The word diet gets such a bad rap. Did you know diet means: The kinds of food a person, animal, or community habitually eats. BUT I literally just typed in diet to Google like I would any other word looking for a definition, what came up for the first ten options all included weight loss and restrictions, my point exactly! The word diet does not mean weight loss, does not mean restrictions, does not mean temporary. SO my advice is think about your diet as the food you consume regularly, consistently, and is maintained over a long period of time.

9. Find motivation! I have my motivation of a Nike model hanging on my fridge. I have pictures of myself at my worst and at my best. I am my own motivation along with that Nike running model hanging out in my kitchen. Once you find what motivates you put it somewhere you see it every day. If you don’t have a reason to change, then when the going gets tough you’re going to quit.

10. Set goals. I set goals every month. I may not achieve all of them, but as long as I’m moving forward I am happy. Your goal could be your goal weight, a certain number of pushups/pull ups, goal mile time, anything you can work toward that you will know you’ve been successful when you reach it. My goals are mostly about physical progress. Whether that’s physically feeling energized and healthy or looking toned and fit!